clarke



Feb. 19, 1963 J. V. CLARKE Feb. 19, 1963 STOCKING Original Filed July 17, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.7

ONVENTOR JOSEPH V. CLARKE OM,

ATTORN EY Re. 25,331 Reissued Feb. 19, 1963 25,331 STUCKING Joseph V. Clarke, Elmhnrst, N.Y., assiguor to Prestige,

Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original No. 3,003,344, dated Oct. 10, 1961, Ser. No.

827312, Juiy 17, 1959. Application for reissue May 7,

1962, Sei. No. 193,661

12 Clams. (Cl. 66-172) Matta' enclcsed in heavy brackets [3 appears in the original patent hut forms no part of this reissue specification; matter printer! in italies indicates the additions made by reissue.

My invention reiates to a stocking of the type shown in Burd and Clarke Patent No. 2,814,938 of December 3, 1957.

The object of the invention is to produce an improved stocking of the type set forth.

In the patent referred to there is shown a "roll edge" stocking, that is, a stoching provided with an upper marginal portion which, if not restrained, will roll down upon itself. This effect was brought about by knitting said marginal portion of textile covered rubber. The roll referred to forms a Core on Which the fabric of the stocking could be further rolled down, thereby making it possible for the stocking to be worn full length, or at some point, at or above, the knee, or it can 'De worn knee high With the roll just below the knee.

The stocking disclosed in my prio-r patent is satsfactory but textile covered yarn is relatively expensive, is hard to knit and presents an undesirable appearance when the necessarily thin textile covering wears off.

It is, therefore, a further object of the invention to produce an improved roll edge stocking of the type referred to without the use of any rub-ber yarn.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the following Specification and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stoching embodying the invention with the stocking worn at full length.

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 except that it shows the top marginal portion of the stocking rolled down.

FIG. 3 is an enlargement of the bracketed area in FIG. 1.

ZFIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are fragrnentary erspective Views showing diiterent ways in which the yarns used in knitting the upper roll-down portion may be comhined.

FIG. 7 is a greatly enlarged sectional view taken on line 7-7 on FIG. 2.

FIS. 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing how the stocking may be worn knee-high or just below the knee.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a conventional stocking which includes a leg 10, a foot M, a single thickness welt 16, and an upper marginal portion 18 Which embodies my iuvention,

The marginal portion 18 of my invention is kuit in the manner shown in FIG. 3 and, in one embodiment thereof, it is formed of a monofilarnent yarn lll which may be made of nylon, Dacron, rayon or other synthetic material, and which is combined with a multi-filament yarn 22 which may be made of the same materials or of natural fibers such as silk as shown in FIG. 4. The mono-filament yarn is combined with a multi-filament because the mono filament yarn, if used alone, will be too lively and will tend to roll too tightly for most purposes. But, when increased liveliness is desired, or is not objectionable, upper portion 18 may be knit of mono-filament 29 exclusively. The ratio of the denier of the monofilament yarn to the denier of the multifilament can vary and satisfa-ctory results have been obtained by Combining a 40 denier monofilament with a 70 denier multifilament yarn. But, eXperim-ents to date show that best results are obtained by Combining a 40 denier monofilament yarn With a 50 denier multifilament yarn.

The mono-filament and multi-filament yarns 20 and 22 may be twisted together without the filaments of yarn 22 having first been twisted together, or the filaments of yarn 22 may be twisted together first and then twisted with the monofilament 20- as in FIG. 4. Alternately, the multifilaments may be twisted together and fed side by side with the monofilarnent, as shown in FIG. 5 and a satisfact-ory roll edge may be produced by twi-sting together a number of mono-filaments 241, as shown in FIG. 6. Also, upper roll portion 18 may be knit of the plain stitches shown in FIG. 3 or of any Other stitches.

In all embodiments, when unrestrained, upper portion 18 will spontaneously roll down upon itself, as shown in FIG. 2, and will spontaneously stop when it reaches the welt of the stocking, if a Welt is used, or when it reaches the fabric of the stocking itself, if the Welt s omitted.

In other words, Only the marginal fabric knit of the combined mono .and multifilaments as above set forth, will roll upon itself and it will stop at its junction with a fabric knit of the conventional yarn in the conventional manner. In practice, the fabric of the Welt, when a Welt is used, is knit of a smaller denier yarn, such as a 70 denier, or less, multifilament yarn, compared to yams from which portion 18 is knit and which have acombined denier or 90. This, of course, does not prevent a person from rolling the Welt down to sany point above the knee or from rolling the stocking down to the extent shown in FIG. 8, which shows the stocking Worn knee hig Or below the knee. In fact, the bead formed by the spontaneous rolling of the upper portion 18 forms a Core on which the adjacent portion of the stocking may be rolled more easily than if the roll is started with a flat edge.

Upper portion 18 may be of any desired width, but is preerably not less than one-half inch and, if a Welt is formed, it, also, may be of any desired width and may he kuit of any stitches, and of any yarns, because, as far as this invention is concerned, it is only necessary that the i'ahric adjoining roll portion 18 be knit of yarns of. a difierent denier so as to limit the roll of upper portion 18 and, therefore, any narrow band of other knitting having a roll limiting characteristic will sufl'ice.

The presence of a thicl: bead, as exaggeratedly shown in FIG. 7, prevents the fabr-ic therebelow from slipping through a garter if one is used, and the garter may be engaged with the roll itself instead of with the fa-bric therebelow.

A single thickness Welt is much less expensive to make than a double Welt but it has heretofo-re not found wide acceptance in the trade because its upper edge tends to curl and wrinkle, and fold down or move away from the skin and thus presents an untidy appearance and is uncomfortable besides. The roll edge of the present invention and the roll edge of the Burd and Clarke patent above mentioned, finishes oh the edge of a single thickness Welt in a very neat and attractive manner. It also Causes the upper edge of the Welt or stocking snugly, but comfortably, to hug the leg.

In order to provide a thick fabric for engagement with the supportng garter, it has heretofore been necessary to provide a double thickness Welt. But, hy my invention, the roll portion can be engaged by the garter and the fabric of the stock-ing leg can be continued all the way up to the lower edge of the roll portion 18 thus making it possible to eliminate the double thickness weit and the Shadow Welt usually interposed between the welt and the stocking.

What I claim is:

1. A stocking including a leg portion and a single a thickness, upper marginai portion terminating in a selve'dge edge, the courses of said marginal portion being knit of a mono-filament yarn combined With a multivfilament yarn wherehy, when released, said marginal portion autcmatically roilsupon itself to fo-rm a tightbead With the selvedge edge at the center thereOf.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 in which at ,least I said monofilarnent is a synthetic yarn.

3. The structure recited in claim 1 in Which the deuier of the mOno-fiiament is abOut equal to the 'denier of the muitifiiament.

.4. The structure recited intciaim ,1 in Which said 'monofilament yarn is synthctic and said muitifiiamentyarn is a natural fiber.

5. The structure recited'n claim 1 in which saidsmono- "fii amen't yarn is frcm about *40 to about '50 denier and .which said lower portion isknit Whereby, when .unrestrained, said upper marginal portion rolis down toform a head at the upper edge of said IOWer portiOn.

8. A km'tted stocking having a leg portion, a single thickness welt, and .a marginal edge tportion knit afa synthetic 'lively mono filament yam, the 'marginal portion having Courses knit of loops of a yarn of a different denier than the welt yarn, said marginal porton when Zmrestraihed spontaneously rolling upon itself to form a tight'core.

9. In the combination of claim 8, said marginal portz'on yarn being nylon.

10. In the combination of claim 8, said spontaneous rolling to form said Core stoppng at the juncture between said marginal prtion and said Welt.

11. In the combination of claim '8, said Core ferming a 'foundation upon which the Welt can be rolled to provide a stocking ofdfierent lengths when woriz.

12. A knitted stocking having 'a leg portion, a single thickness welt, and a marginal' edge porton knit of a synthetc lively -mono-filament yarn., said marginal portion when unrestrained spontaneously rolling upanitself to form a tight Core.

References Cted in the file of this parent Or the original patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

